Smashed
by DreamDropDistance
Summary: When Ivy makes a startling discovery, her whole career is put into jeopardy. Takes place before the workshop, before they even considered replacing Ivy.


A big, red, ominous plus. Ivy looked up, blinked, then looked down again at the device in her hand, unbelieving.

This cannot be happening.

She had checked before, the same result. A big red plus.

It didn't make sense. She and Derek had been so careful. How could this have happened? She was a performer, and knew how to take care of herself. This was the kind of thing that could end her career. So how could this have happened?

While she was still staring, her phone beeped. Numbly, she dropped the device and picked up her phone.

Ivy, where are you? -Tom

Good old Tom, always looking out for her. Too bad there was nothing he could do now.

Still in a daze, she texted him back.

On my way, got stuck in traffic. -Ivy

She had already decided to act like nothing was different. Rehearsals would continue, and she would be fine. She was going to be a strong, beautiful Marilyn.

When she finally arrived, everyone was stretching, warming up, or just looking bored.

Tom noticed her immediately. "Ivy! There you are! Where were you?"

"I told you," she said, throwing off her coat and purse. "Traffic." Her voice cracked slightly. Tom looked unconvinced, but Ivy smiled dazzlingly. "No worries."

Derek clapped his hands together tersely. "Okay, people, now that we have everyone," he stared accusingly at Ivy. "Let's start. 'Star', take it from the top."

Everyone rushed to their places, and Ivy stood in the middle of the three boxes. It irked her slightly that Karen Cartwright was right behind her, smiling there like some idiot. She pushed the thought out of her mind, and concentrated on the song. She was no longer Ivy Lynn; she was Marilyn Monroe, the beautiful starlet.

"Fade in on a girl

With a hunger for fame,

And a face

And a name

To remember."

That was when things started to go downhill. First she forgot the words, then she panicked and her voice gave out, making it crack unattractively.

Next thing she knew, she was on her butt, on the floor. Everyone stared. She'd never messed up so badly before.

So, being the actress she was, Ivy got up and apologized, laughing and smiling.

"Sorry, sorry! One more time, please?"

Derek rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Again."

Ivy closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. It's nothing, it's nothing. Nothing's wrong. She chanted inside her head.

She opened her eyes and smiled grandly. This time, however, when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a noise that sounded like a scream.

Ivy covered her mouth in horror. This was not good. Not good at all. She breathed deeply, concentrating on not bursting into tears.

Suddenly, her stomach flipped in discomfort, and she gagged slightly.

Oh, no. Not now. Please not now.

"Excuse me," she whispered, running out of the room.

"Ivy!" she heard several people call after her.

Ivy ran straight to the bathroom and promptly vomited in a stall. It didn't stop there, though. She retched and gagged until she was sure that she didn't have any food left in her. By then, she was so exhausted that she hadn't noticed that someone was holding her hair back for her.

She looked up, her head spinning. "Sam?" she choked out.

He nodded, kneeling down beside her. "You okay?" he asked.

Ivy nodded and tried to grin. "Just a stomach bug. Maybe some bad food. I'll be fine."

Sam shook his head. "You're going home. Scratch that, I'm taking you home."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no, please. I'm fine real-" Before she could finish, she turned and vomited in the toilet again.

"Uh huh. You're perfectly fine. Come on." He helped her up, and walked her to a chair outside of the studio. "Wait here. I'm gonna tell Tom what happened, and get your stuff. Don't you dare think of going in there."

"Uugh, fine, Mother." she teased weakly, hands over her stomach.

She must have dozed off after that, because by the time she came to, Sam was leading her into her apartment.

"Here we go, princess, into bed." he said, flopping her down. "Get some rest, okay? I'll see if there's any Pepto-Bismol in your medicine cabinet."

"Mmhhhm." Ivy mumbled, drifting to sleep. Suddenly she remembered something with a start.

The testers.

She hadn't thrown them away.

They were still in her bathroom.

She tried to protest, but it was too late. The shuffling of plastic bottles had stopped, and Sam's footsteps were steadily becoming louder.

"Ivy...?" he started.

Ivy sat up slowly.

"Are... Are these yours?" he stammered, holding the testers.

Ivy blinked back tears as she nodded.

"So this... This is because..."

"Sam, I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant? But what... How?"

Ivy sank into her pillows, tears flowing down her face. "It's Derek's. The baby is Derek's."

Sam gaped. "Derek as in... Our director? I knew there was something goin' on between you two, but this? Iv..." he shook his head slowly and frowned.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sam turned, still frowning, dropped the testers in the garbage, and went to open it.

"... Is she okay? When she ran out of rehearsal like that..." Tom's voice.

"I think that's something you should hear her say for herself," Sam said quietly, leading him into Ivy's bedroom.

Tom immediately rushed to Ivy's side and took her hand. "Hey, how's it going?" he said softly, brushing a lock of her hair away.

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. I'm fine." she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You don't look fine. Does this go further than you being sick?"

Ivy turned away at the question, breathing heavily.

"Ivy? Come on, talk to me." Tom let go of her hand and touched her shoulder. "Ivy!" he raised his voice slightly.

"Okay!" Ivy cried, whipping around to face him. "Tom... I won't be able to do the show anymore."

Tom looked surprised. "Why? Because of rehearsal today? It wasn't that bad. Everyone has their off days-"

"No! Because... Well... Because... I'm pregnant."

Tom's mouth dropped open. He seemed to want to say something, but no words came out.

"Yes! I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant, Tom!" The words came out in a sob. Suddenly both Sam and Tom were comforting her at the same time.

"Everything will be fine.."

"We'll work something out, you'll see..."

Ivy sobbed harder at their words. "Don't you get it? My career is over! I can't even be a chorus girl when I'm pregnant! And what about after the baby is born? Derek's not going to help! How am I supposed to keep up a job... Or a house... Or anything... With a baby?"

Both Sam and Tom had been silently asking those same questions, and still did not have the right words to answer them. They knew that her career was postponed for a couple of years, but perhaps not over. Yet. She couldn't be Marilyn, that was for sure. She would have to admit her pregnancy during auditions for other musicals, which would hurt her chances of landing a part.

Everyone was silent for several minutes, save Ivy's sobbing. Finally Tom spoke, his voice carefully controlled. "You... You need to tell Derek."

Ivy stopped sobbing and looked at him like he was crazy. "Tell Derek? Oh God... He's the father of my baby..." she whispered, like it had just dawned on her.

Suddenly Ivy Lin looked like a scared little girl who just had a bad nightmare, but couldn't get any comfort.

"What's going to happen to me?" Ivy whispered, staring down at her hands.

"Ivy, take the day off." Tom said soothingly "Rest. Relax. Take a day to just breath easy. We'll figure this out when you feel better, okay?"

Ivy didn't answer, she just slowly laid back on her pillows and closed her eyes. She was snoring softly in seconds.

Sam and Tom exchanged glances.

"Dude, I call being the godfather." Sam attempted at a joke weakly, earning an equally weak smile from Tom.

**Sorry for the pregnancy cliché. I wanted to get the idea across that she's been pregnant for a while, but she's been too busy with Marilyn to notice anything's wrong. Can't decide if this is going to be a one-shot or not. Probably not, but it will take a while for me to update, as I'm wracking my brains for the second chapter of my other story. Happy reading! -DDD**


End file.
